lane 8 wrote:
Old 'n Slow wrote:Also video of Jock Semple at his best.
He was quite a character. He was our '72 Olympic Tour so got to know him a little bit.
I'm sure Kathrine Switzer has fond memories.
lane 8 wrote:
Old 'n Slow wrote:Also video of Jock Semple at his best.
He was quite a character. He was our '72 Olympic Tour so got to know him a little bit.
I'm sure Kathrine Switzer has fond memories.
This is a great find. Chaos seems to be an accurate descriptor for Boston pre-1970
That bounce on the stomach exercise, though!
Fascinating video that should be linked to form the homepage
What a treasure! Other than having to endure Erich Segal, this is a fascinating look at what marathoning (and road running) was like before the running boom.
Runners and officials in those days were all amateurs. Running was our hobby. Everyone had full time work. Wde received no expense money from the race and a lesser talented runner could have more fun. The world best marathon time was 2:14:28 by Buddy Edelen in 1963. There were few marathons in the US and many courses were not accurate.
As for the Boston race it still had the hundreds of thousands of spectators. There were no runners over 4 hours in marathons, nor were there liquids, women or splits. In Boston only the lead group received splits in the middle of each town they ran through. They were given times at 6.5 miles and 10.5 miles etc. 181 runners started in 1962. There were no t-shirts and the winner received a medal. The next 9 runners received trophies and medals were give to those 11th through 35th. The rest had the chance to compete.
There was no Gatorade. in 1969, Bill Goo0kin, a sub 2:30 marathoner from San Diego began producing Gookinade after analyzing his sweat during the Santa Barbara marathon.
It was all so different than today.
I thought I'd seen all the Boston Marathon stuff on the internet ... saved the best for last I guess!
Thanks for posting.
Wow! Thank you for sharing this history. To see video of my father (Ted Corbitt) is special. I’m still smiling after seeing him running with Walter Hewlett who I use to watch compete at Van Cortlandt Park. Walter was known for his very fast opening miles at this iconic cross-country course.
Other sightings not mentioned:
Dick Clapp – New York Pioneer Club & Millrose
Kurt Steiner – New York Pioneer Club
Gonzales Scotto – Boston Athletic Association
Jim O’Connell – St. Anthony’s Boys Club
Hal Higdon – University of Chicago Track Club
Jerry Nason – on the press bus
Jesse Kelley – at the finish with Young John
Four weeks later each year these athletes would compete at the Yonkers Marathon.
I wonder what other video of our sport is out there. How about the footage that wasn’t used in this fine piece?
What is the threshold that separates a "hobbyjogger" from a "sub-elite" runner?
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